It would be disrespectful to suggest that Mark De Rosa is a Blue Jay just to provide the road map for Brett Lawrie to find his way through the emotional ups and downs of being a young guy in a complicated sport.

At 37, he still has something to offer on the field as a 25th-man who can deliver when his moment comes.

Yet it’s not a coincidence that De Rosa, a smart, funny, eloquent, understanding veteran who wears his enthusiasm for life on his sleeve, is lockered right next to the tightly-wound young Blue Jays star. They are also fellow third basemen who have already started to build a bond as they go through the drudgery of all the grunt work that goes into spring training.

“Out on the field we’re doing everything together and it’s obvious he’s just an ultimate team guy,” Lawrie said. “He’s got a great sense of humour and you can tell he’s just that kind of guy who will be there for me and everybody else in the room.